Judge: Wichita officer’s shooting vet with PTSD reasonable

11/30/17 6:32 PM

WICHITA, Kan. — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the city of Wichita, saying police officers’ actions in the fatal shooting of an Iraq veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder were reasonable.

Police fatally shot Icarus Randolph, 26, in front of his family in 2014 when he came toward officers with a knife and after a Taser didn’t stop him. Family members said they were trying to get Randolph taken to a hospital so he could be treated for a mental health crisis, the Wichita Eagle reported .

The family’s lawsuit said officers Ryan Snyder and Danny Brown didn’t follow proper procedure on dealing with mental health crises when approaching Randolph, who had PTSD. The suit contended that the officers should have removed the family members from the front yard and given Randolph more space. But instead, Snyder in particular escalated the situation by arguing with the family in front of Randolph and agitating him, the family said.

Sedgwick County District Court Judge Bruce Brown ruled Wednesday that the officers’ actions were reasonable. He said the facts didn’t support the argument that the officers provoked Randolph or that they were reckless or malicious.

Brown said Wichita police procedure on dealing with mental health crises allows officers to use their discretion. He said the key is whether an officer “reasonably believes” he has to use deadly force.

Family members of Randolph said in the lawsuit that witnessing the shooting has caused them to have PTSD.

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